Professional Learning

School/Curriculum Improvement Service

COSER 521.01

The work of this service aligns with the NYS Education Department’s Agenda, which includes Standards and Assessments, Data Systems and Turning Around Low Achieving Schools.

The goal  is to prepare our students to be college and career ready. This multifaceted plan will close the achievement gap by implementation of the NYS Next Generation Learning Standards, implementing the Data Driven Inquiry Model, and a teacher and principal evaluation system that supports education effectiveness. 

Basic Service

COSER 521.010

Per SED COSER guidelines, general staff development services to districts required that BOCES establish a base-fee structure and that a district subscribe to the base service before a district can receive aid on staff development services. The fee is determined by the number of students in the district. Activities and benefits included in the base service are as follows:

• Aid for district staff attendance in shared district workshops
• Aid for in-district staff training/consultation by BOCES employees
• Aid for substitute teachers for participants attending half- or full-day training
• Aid for cooperative curriculum development projects involving at least two districts
• Successive sharing of consultants in district after shared activity
• Aid for Inquiry Based Data Driven Professional Development
• BOCES network teams will also work with district inquiry teams to develop and enhance effective instructional practices that ensure student growth and enhance school climate. The process involves four distinct phases: 1) Self-Study Tool 2) Action Planning 3) Implementation of Intervention 4) Assessment of Results. On-going facilitation by BOCES staff is provided.

Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment Coordination

COSER 332

This service hires professional staff for specialized services and coordinates the sharing of those staff members between two or more districts. These professionals assist participating districts in improving student achievement by providing professional learning opportunities in instructional strategies, curriculum development, assessment techniques, data analysis and leadership.

Each district is charged on a formula basis for professional development services. School districts are responsible for purchasing equipment and supplies that will be retained in their district.

Curriculum Supervisors

COSER 332.01

This in-district service focuses on strengthening instruction, raising standards and improving curriculum and assessment practices.

Consultants are matched to districts based on their staff development needs. Teachers and administrators receive feedback, share best practices and exchange ideas from the curriculum specialists in workshops, one-on-one classroom coaching and small groups.

Arts-in-Education

COSER 405

This Arts-in-Education service provides a highly effective way for schools to provide arts and educational programs within their districts by bringing artists in or by going out to cultural venues. Arts-in-Education helps schools enrich students’ lives by providing opportunities to experience the arts. This service is designed to provide resources for schools to integrate the arts throughout the Next Generation Learning Standards.

There must be at least two districts requesting Arts-in-Education services for aid.

Examples of allowable arts integration activities:

• Dance (In-school workshops, assemblies by dance companies, field trips to dance performances)
• Theater (In-school performances, field trips, technical support and equipment for school productions, workshops with actors/technicians)
• Author Visits/Storytelling (In-school workshops and assemblies, field trips to book stores, museums or other venue where author will be available)
• Visual Art (Field trips, residencies workshops/assemblies - sculpture installations, murals, bookmaking, film making, etc.)
• Musicals (Guest conductors, choreographers, professional musicians who are working with students on a school musical and their materials and supplies)
• Writing Workshops (In-school workshops, assemblies, field trips, competitions and festivals)
• Teacher Professional Learning (related to the Arts & Arts Integration)

Provides a cost-effective way for school districts to bring arts programs to their students.

Data Analyst

COSER 521.011

Professional Learning provides assistance to component school districts in data analysis linked to instructional practices. This includes the collection and analysis of school data, and assistance with analyzing and interpreting New York state assessment data, as well as common local formative and interim assessments. Custom service work consists of district- or school-specific projects and includes state assessment error analyses, predictive studies, survey construction and analysis, and program evaluation. Alignment of formative and interim assessments to the new Next Generation Learning Standards and how they impact instruction can be addressed through this service. A structured approach to data analysis supports districts in their planning, adoption or confirmation of research-based instructional models, as well as develops a sustainable data-driven culture. Professional development opportunities support identified needs in school improvement and growth. This service is offered to component districts in partnership with the Mohawk Regional Information Center (MORIC).

Regional Assessment Development

COSER 521.05

The Regional Assessment Development Project will include districts bringing their teachers together under the consultation of the PPD staff and/or consultants to procure and/or create assessment questions to be used to develop secure regional assessments for the growth and achievement needs of teacher evaluation under the APPR requirements:

• A database of regionally developed assessment questions
• Post-Assessments in the designated content areas/courses and grade levels
• Guidelines for Administration and Scoring
• The creation of interim assessments to compliment the summative measures created and implemented by local districts

Community School Resources

COSER 545

The Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES Community School Resources represent a strategy for districts to organize resources so that academics, social and emotional needs, and medical and dental services and supports are integrated into the fabric of school culture. This strategy helps to remove obstacles to learning and serve the needs of the whole child, allowing teachers to teach and students to learn.

By aligning resources, Community Schools will result in improved student learning, stronger families and healthier neighborhoods. Specifically, the COSER will improve students’ social, emotional, physical and intellectual needs through a menu of services.